Any Ruby or Elite CAS passengers who've sailed since April 1

[Always Cruising]

Could you confirm how the drink packages have worked?  I've been told (final answer - after much conflicting info from different CAS reps) that passenger 1&2 get the upgraded FAS drink package, without having paid/purchased the basic FAS drinks.  

[Sand and Seas]

2 hours ago, Always Cruising said:

Could you confirm how the drink packages have worked?  I've been told (final answer - after much conflicting info from different CAS reps) that passenger 1&2 get the upgraded FAS drink package, without having paid/purchased the basic FAS drinks.  

I am Ruby in casino and we sailed April 5th on Prima.  We did not pay the 20% fee for FAS drinks.  When we got our boarding cards they had UB on them which gave us the basic FAS drinks anywhere on the ship for passengers 1&2.   

 

If there isn't a UB on your card when you check in, I would suggest you go to guest services and have them check with Casino hosts to verify your status.  

[Always Cruising]

55 minutes ago, Sand and Seas said:

I am Ruby in casino and we sailed April 5th on Prima.  We did not pay the 20% fee for FAS drinks.  When we got our boarding cards they had UB on them which gave us the basic FAS drinks anywhere on the ship for passengers 1&2.   

 

If there isn't a UB on your card when you check in, I would suggest you go to guest services and have them check with Casino hosts to verify your status.  

Sand and Seas - Ruby and Elite are supposed to get the FAS + package, according to new rules.  Did you receive it?  I've had differing answers as to whether passengers 1&2 have to pay taxes in advance on basic FAS and then are given FAS+ onboard.  Last answer was that we don't need to have the basic package, and will be given  FAS+ once on board.  But clear info is difficult to find....

[UKstages]

i haven't sailed since 4/1, but i did just book a B2B for this month and next with a top notch CAS agent whom i trust. i'm a newly minted elite, so i asked about the process and procedures related to CAS benefits. 

 

she said that about two weeks before sail date, there is a team that will run a report to see who has status and they will add/code the benefits at that time. ruby and elite should opt out of FAS drink package; it will be on your card when you check-in. if not, of course, see a casino host.

 

3 minutes ago, Always Cruising said:

I've had differing answers as to whether passengers 1&2 have to pay taxes in advance on basic FAS and then are given FAS+ onboard.  Last answer was that we don't need to have the basic package, and will be given  FAS+ once on board.

 

ruby and elite do not have to pay gratuities (or taxes, for that matter) on the drink package. and the package will follow you around the ship... it's not just for drinks in the casino.

 

however, i do believe that ruby gets the standard UB (unlimited beverage) package, while elite gets the upgraded premium plus package (but not FAS+, which includes other features, such as additional excursion credits for passenger 2). there were several missteps and miscalculations in the roll out of the new program and i believe at one point ruby and elite had the same premium plus drink benefit, but that has since been scaled back to just standard UB for ruby players. 

 

https://www.ncl.com/why-cruise-norwegian/casino-cruise/players-club

 

the CAS drink package benefit applies to passengers 1 and 2 (assuming passenger 1 is the casino guest). If passengers 3 or 4 are also casino guests, it does not apply, unless they have earned status themselves (in which case, it is more likely that they would have their own room[s] and their own reservation[s], anyway).

[BirdTravels]

51 minutes ago, Always Cruising said:

Sand and Seas - Ruby and Elite are supposed to get the FAS + package, according to new rules.  Did you receive it?  I've had differing answers as to whether passengers 1&2 have to pay taxes in advance on basic FAS and then are given FAS+ onboard.  Last answer was that we don't need to have the basic package, and will be given  FAS+ once on board.  But clear info is difficult to find....

Incorrect. Please review the 2024 program. Ruby (second from right column) get unlimited open bar which is the Premium package. Elite (right column) gets Premium PLUS package.
 

No one gets FAS+. 

https://www.ncl.com/why-cruise-norwegian/casino-cruise/players-club

Edited April 30 by BirdTravels

[Sand and Seas]

34 minutes ago, Always Cruising said:

Sand and Seas - Ruby and Elite are supposed to get the FAS + package, according to new rules.  Did you receive it?  I've had differing answers as to whether passengers 1&2 have to pay taxes in advance on basic FAS and then are given FAS+ onboard.  Last answer was that we don't need to have the basic package, and will be given  FAS+ once on board.  But clear info is difficult to find....

The NCL Casinos at Sea page today just shows basic FAS drinks for Ruby and 2nd passenger.  Elite shows Premium Plus for passengers 1 & 2.     Are you seeing it anywhere else in writing?  It has been a very confusing process since they were 'tweaking' the new perks right up to April 1st. 

 

A few days prior to April 1st, we were seeing that we would need to pay Fees for basic package and then would receive Premium Plus.  We didn't want the Plus package so this was frustrating for us.  We were happy when it changed to no fees paid and getting the basic FAS.   I called CAS a couple of days before our April 5th cruise and they verified they could see the FAS basic drink package on our amenities and we did NOT have to pay the 20% fee.

 

I do miss getting unopened cans of Diet Coke from the casino bar, but it's nice getting drinks from any bar on the ship.   Cartons of one liter Flow water were sent to our room.  

 

[Always Cruising]

Thanks for everyone's thoughts and experiences...seems the program has kinks to be worked out. 

[Sand and Seas]

50 minutes ago, Always Cruising said:

Thanks for everyone's thoughts and experiences...seems the program has kinks to be worked out. 

Personally, I wouldn't say there are still 'kinks'.  Were there changes from the mailers & emails some received prior to April 1st🤔    Absolutely!  But in my opinion, they made improvements for the Ruby & Elite tiers.

My experience on our April 5th cruise was exactly what the currently posted Tier benefits say.    

[UKstages]

5 minutes ago, Sand and Seas said:

But in my opinion, they made improvements for the Ruby & Elite tiers.

 

my thoughts exactly.

 

ultimately, it all worked out. but i do think everyone calling to complain really woke CAS management up and had a lot to do with the program enhancements.

 

(of course, i don't sail till the end of the month, so i haven't experienced any of it yet.)

[Sand and Seas]

59 minutes ago, UKstages said:

 

my thoughts exactly.

 

ultimately, it all worked out. but i do think everyone calling to complain really woke CAS management up and had a lot to do with the program enhancements.

 

(of course, i don't sail till the end of the month, so i haven't experienced any of it yet.)

Yes, I believe that all of our calls to CAS with our concerns did lead to changes that I feel improved our benefits. Many voices & many concerns that I believe made a difference.

 

I had a long talk with one agent who said that she would be sharing my concerns & suggestions with the supervisors.  They were having a meeting later that day.   I had told her I would rather be offered an inexpensive soda or Starbucks package than be forced to pay the basic FAS fees in order to be 'gifted' the Premium Plus that we wouldn't really utilize.   Ultimately, no cost basic FAS package which works perfectly for us.

[Always Cruising]

Some CAS agent have told me that with Elite level, passengers 3-8 are offered the basic FAS - any experience on that?

[UKstages]

no experience with that, but if i had seven other people in my cabin, i'd need a drink package for sure. i'd be drinking all the time and not spending a moment in the cabin.

 

what do you mean they are "offered" basic FAS?

 

do you mean they are given the baseline UB (unlimited beverage package) for free... no gratuities charged?

 

those CAS agents seem confused or misguided.

 

there is no documentation that i have seen to support what they have told you and it would be contrary to almost every other NCL policy which stipulates benefits for passengers 1 and 2.

 

a lot of folks, including CAS agents, seem to think that once a player becomes "elite" all manner of special benefits and goodies get bestowed. in my limited experience as a new elite, the benefits you get are pretty much limited to the published benefits. even the baseline offers are the same... balcony cabin for 12 days. i can usually get a play-based offer and get a club balcony or better, but it's still limited to twelve days. anything over twelve days, they want to charge me.... even though i can book a "free" back to back for 24 days! i think they have made some upper tier improvements with the april 1st changes, but CAS still doesn't really know how to run a casino program in which players are recognized and rewarded throughout the ship, not just in the casino. (one new exception is the drink package for ruby and elite.)

[Always Cruising]

"passengers 3-8" is terminology NCL uses.  I agree, travel with 7 others would be close to a nightmare, except it's only Garden Villas that hold that many.       My CAS agent told me yesterday that passengers 3&4 on a booking that I have will get the basic drink package without paying gratuities.  Just trying to see if this is something anyone else has heard or had happen.  Sorry for my misuse of FAS - I did mean unlimited beverage package.

[UKstages]

apology not needed or expected; i was just trying to clarify.

 

i haven't heard about free drink package (no gratuities) for additional passengers beyond 1 and 2. but i'm usually solo and never more than two in a room. let's see if anybody else has heard about this.

[smillerholmes]

My experience matches what was described here. Since traveling through the Casino I have always declined the drink package so wasn't sure what to expect.  UB was coded on my key card.  I had the option for "300 minutes" available with my room type or "unlimited for 1 device" with a $3.95 activation fee which I have been assured will be removed at the end of the sailing.

 

I will also miss getting espresso and sparkling water from the bar.  I am currently on the Spirit which doesn't have a casino bar.  The casino is sandwiched between the Local and a bar in the Social Club. Weird set up, but I liked getting those things from the bar.  The casino hostess has hinted that my Starbucks fees may be waived as well.  We shall see.

Edited May 4 by smillerholmes
Forgot to mention - I am Ruby

[mistertomatoe]

I went from 0 to Ruby on my last cruise. Annoyingly they couldn't tell me which offers are available. I just called in and they don't provide a "list" like Royal or I can go online and see like with Carnival/Royal. Also, I racked up a lot of convenience charges and they took them off but considered it a comp so I ended up having to pay some other onboard charges out of pocket. Based on my losses they appeared to comp 5% but 3% of that are convenience fees. They wouldn't even consider the convenience fees after Sapphire as waived. The hosts on the Prima weren't very friendly. No warm and fuzzies on that cruise. When I called to book my next cruises (B2B) for June, the rep didn't seem too familiar with Ruby status benefits. I guess all this is normal for Casinos at Sea and NCL in general.

 

There's nothing on my reservations to indication the OBC, Unlimited Internet for 1 device, or Open Bar. Am I going to have issues getting these if they don't show up ahead of time? Are people seeing these on the reservation 2 weeks before cruising like someone said? How much OBC can I expect for a 7 day cruise?

[UKstages]

you will have zero problems getting your OBC or your internet. it doesn't show on your reservation; the onboard hosts handle this.  there will be a card in your stateroom with your OBC details. and the internet will be preloaded as a "plan" option in the app. you will also see your FAS minutes in there, but there is no need to access that.

 

regarding the unlimited open bar, you should have a code on your reservation/invoice that details that... but not at first booking... that shows up two weeks or so prior to sailing and will be indicated on your card as well as coded into your card.  if you don't get an updated invoice by a week and a half or so before the cruise, call. 

 

9 minutes ago, mistertomatoe said:

They wouldn't even consider the convenience fees after Sapphire as waived.

 

i don't understand what you are saying here.

 

are you drawing a distinction between CAS tiers and saying that the waiving of convenience fees is different between tiers? or are you saying that all convenience fees waived are charged against comps at the end of the cruise?

[mistertomatoe]

4 hours ago, UKstages said:

are you drawing a distinction between CAS tiers and saying that the waiving of convenience fees is different between tiers? or are you saying that all convenience fees waived are charged against comps at the end of the cruise?

 

I started with 0 points so I figure they should at the very least waive any convenience fees after I made Sapphire on the cruise since that's part of the perk. They instead will only do it starting the next cruise. It didn't matter that I had 40k in losses by the end of the cruise and went beyond Ruby status in points. Apparently I was 1 of 3 Rubies and only 1 Elite on the cruise. I'm drawing a distinction between waiving the fees vs comping them at the end based on play. I'm annoyed because they counted the fees towards the comp at the end of the cruise so I ended up paying for some onboard charges out of pocket.

[UKstages]

i understand now what you're saying.

 

unfortunately, yes, just as with latitudes status, the CAS tier (and associated benefits) doesn't kick in until the next cruise. those are the rules. i think they're silly, but i've experienced this myself. i hit "elite" on my last cruise, but won't enjoy the benefits until i sail in a couple of weeks. i'm glad they "waived" the convenience fees, but i agree with you that they didn't really waive them if they essentially took them out of your earned comp.

 

are you playing table games or slots? either way, a 40K actual loss should earn 3K+ in comps based on my primitive calculations and without knowing the length of the cruise, how long you played or the theo of the machines/games.

[BirdTravels]

22 hours ago, mistertomatoe said:

I went from 0 to Ruby on my last cruise. Annoyingly they couldn't tell me which offers are available. I just called in and they don't provide a "list" like Royal or I can go online and see like with Carnival/Royal. Also, I racked up a lot of convenience charges and they took them off but considered it a comp so I ended up having to pay some other onboard charges out of pocket. Based on my losses they appeared to comp 5% but 3% of that are convenience fees. They wouldn't even consider the convenience fees after Sapphire as waived. The hosts on the Prima weren't very friendly. No warm and fuzzies on that cruise. When I called to book my next cruises (B2B) for June, the rep didn't seem too familiar with Ruby status benefits. I guess all this is normal for Casinos at Sea and NCL in general.

 

There's nothing on my reservations to indication the OBC, Unlimited Internet for 1 device, or Open Bar. Am I going to have issues getting these if they don't show up ahead of time? Are people seeing these on the reservation 2 weeks before cruising like someone said? How much OBC can I expect for a 7 day cruise?

The prior information posted is not totally accurate. 
 

The week of cruise, your entitlements will be added to your reservation. That would include beverage package, internet, and OBC.
 

For elites they would also load a ShoreEx credit and upgrade to Premium Plus beverage package. For elites, the onboard hosts can no longer book a return limo. That has to be done in advance. Always get the limo confirmations emailed to you and make sure that your phone number appears in the contact information and not the NCL rep who made the reservation. 
 

If you want to verify it, get a fresh copy of your Amenities confirmation emailed to you. You want the beverage package loaded in advance so you can enjoy beverages as soon as you board 

Edited Wednesday at 04:14 PM by BirdTravels

[mistertomatoe]

19 hours ago, UKstages said:

are you playing table games or slots? either way, a 40K actual loss should earn 3K+ in comps based on my primitive calculations and without knowing the length of the cruise, how long you played or the theo of the machines/games.

 

All slots, all charged to my room. They gave me 2k comps on 40k loss so they probably didn't even consider overall play. 15 day transatlantic on the Prima. Virtually zero historical play. I think I did maybe about $200 in slots a few years ago.